Elphinstone has successfully delivered the second of four Haulmax 3900 long haul dump trucks to “a valued customer” in Suriname through dealer Surmac in South America, which is also the main Cat dealer in the country. The four trucks are in addition to the ten Haulmax 3900 dump trucks purchased in 2019, all manufactured at Elphinstone in Burnie, Tasmania and adds to a total of more than 110 trucks delivered worldwide. The versatile Haulmax 3900 can be configured as a dump truck, service truck, water truck or tow tractor for a lowboy trailer.

The company states: “With greater tyre and braking capacity plus a load management system, the Haulmax 3900 is designed for extended haul distances. Featuring a proven Caterpillar powertrain with a C27 engine, the Haulmax provides excellent performance, reliability and productivity for long life and a low total cost of ownership (TCO). A spacious ROPS/FOPS certified cabin, ergonomic controls, air suspension seats, access stairs, platforms and ground-level service points all provide a comfortable and safe operating environment.”

The customer is IAMGOLD, which has outlined in previous reports that it invested in the initial ten Haulmax 3900 trucks to haul ore some 30 km from the ROM pad at the Saramacca high grade satellite gold project to the existing Rosebel processing plant via a purpose built haul road. The latest four machines are an expansion to this fleet. In its results for Q1 2021, IAMGOLD said that an increase in strip ratio at Saramacca to 7.1 reflects the resumption of strategic pushbacks and mine development, which were paused in 2020. These activities are intended to expose higher grade ore zones while mining volumes at the Saramacca deposit continue to ramp up into higher grade zones.